The committee agreed that the parties should be issued with summons after each of them submitted letters saying that they would not appear before the inquiry on Tuesday, following an invitation to do so by the committee.

Democratic Alliance MP Natasha Mazzone said Myeni’s letter, which was sent to the committee on Monday, was filled with “disdain and disparaging” remarks about the inquiry. In her letter, Myeni accused the inquiry of criminalising her.

Committee members said that Myeni’s no-show in the House, after two invitations, was an admission of guilt for her involvement in state capture and meddling in state companies.

Myeni has said that she is too ill to attend the inquiry over the past two weeks, but MPs remained dubious about her excuse, saying she had not submitted a sick certificate.

“We are going to summon her to the committee. I just wanted to put my own observations of the matter: I thought if she does not want to come to the committee then she is guilty,” said committee chairperson Daphne Rantho.

Duduzani Zuma was also expected to appear before the committee, but in a letter to the committee, said he did not have the relevant transcripts from the inquiry nor did he know which questions he should answer.

When Rantho asked what action should be taken against Zuma, Mazzone responded: “Chairperson, same Whatsapp group”.

“The proceedings are to a large extent an exercise in political showboating by parliamentarians intent either on making political speeches, insulting witnesses or otherwise questioning witnesses in a manner which is not conducive to the resolution of identified or identifiable issues,” the letter reads.

Shivambu said that the brothers are subject to South African law and should face consequences if they have violated the law.

Rantho said that the leaders of the inquiry would discuss dates for the parties to be summoned to appear.

Ra'eesa Pather

Ra’eesa Pather is a general news journalist with the Mail & Guardian’s online team. She cut her teeth at The Daily Vox in Cape Town before moving to Johannesburg and joining the M&G. She's written about memory, race and gender in columns and features, and has dabbled in photography. Read more from Ra'eesa Pather